BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU’s two-time All-America cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. will wear No. 7 for the Tigers in 2021, head coach Ed Orgeron announced on Tuesday.
A relatively new tradition at LSU, the No. 7 jersey has become associated with a player who is a dynamic playmaker while also displaying all of the qualities necessary to build championship teams around. Some past wearers of the No. 7 jersey for LSU include cornerback Patrick Peterson, defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver DJ Chark.
“It’s an honor to be part of the legacy of players that have worn the number 7 jersey,” Stingley said. “I’m looking forward to upholding the tradition and the standard of play that has been set by the group that has come before me.”
Last year, JaCoby Stevens wore the No. 7 LSU jersey.
“Derek is very deserving of following in the footsteps of some of the great players in LSU history in wearing the No. 7 jersey,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “Derek is an outstanding young man from right here in Baton Rouge who represents our program with tremendous character and a desire to make all of those around him better.
“He inspires his teammates to achieve great things on and off the field. He’s most deserving of wearing the No. 7 jersey in 2021 for the LSU Tigers. I know he will wear it with pride and will represent it well.”
In two years with the Tigers, Stingley has made his mark as the nation’s top cover cornerback. A player with elite ball skills and coverage ability, Stingley led the SEC in interceptions as a true freshman in 2019 with six. He intercepted two passes in LSU’s SEC Championship Game win over Georgia, a victory that clinched a perfect 13-0 regular season for the Tigers and a berth in the College Football Playoffs.
Stingley, a Baton Rouge native and another in a long list of great Louisiana high school players that have called LSU home, became the first true freshman in LSU history to start every game of his rookie season.
Twice named first team All-SEC as a defensive back, Stingley has appeared in 22 games for the Tigers, registering 65 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and six interceptions. He’s also recorded 26 pass breakups, recovered two fumbles and forced another.
In addition to his prowess on the defensive side of the ball, Stingley has become a threat as LSU’s punt returner for the past two years. On 23 punt returns, the sure-handed Stingley is averaging 11.3 yards a return.
